Pele is the god of fire in Hawaiian mythology. He lives inside
Kilauea, and when he gets angry, the volcano roars, according
legend. A band of ancient warriors were en route to battle near
the summit of Kilauea more than 200 years ago when Pele got
angry. Very angry.

Searing rocks exploded from Kilauea's
summit crater and a thick current of lava
surged toward the warriors, propelled by hurricane-force
winds. More than 400 people died, according to historical
estimates, in the deadliest volcanic eruption in what is now the
United States.

These kinds of eruptions are few and far between on Kilauea. Its
name means "spewing" or "much spreading" in Hawaiian and the
volcano has been continually oozing out lava since Jan. 3, 1983.
People often walk near these sluggish rivers
of lava that flow down the mountain's slopes and into
the ocean. These "gentle eruptions" are rarely a threat unless
people are doing something foolish, like treading too close to
the hot lava. Occasionally though, the lava will slowly consume
houses in its path.

Yesterday, a cameraman got close enough to a fresh lava flow to
film Pele's braids, as seen in the above video. The video was
shot at about 2,000 feet (600 meters) above sea level, amid the
lava beds. The lava is pouring from the Pu`u `Ō `ō crater. The
shiny and smooth lava is called pāhoehoe lava.

Volcanic craters are large holes created by volcanic
activity. Inside of craters are vents that erupt lava.